Maybin didn't like the mirror image of his leg kick

San Diego Padres' Cameron Maybin, front left, gets high-fives from teammates after hitting a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks as manager Bud Black, top right, pulls Clayton Richard (33) closer to him so they can talk during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 2, 2012, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
— AP

San Diego Padres' Cameron Maybin, front left, gets high-fives from teammates after hitting a home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks as manager Bud Black, top right, pulls Clayton Richard (33) closer to him so they can talk during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 2, 2012, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
/ AP

Cameron Maybin was standing in front of a full length mirror in his hotel room in Phoenix earlier this week when he began practicing his swing.

He took a look at himself using the high leg kick.

Then he looked at himself with his feet planted on the ground.

“What I noticed was how much my head was moving with the leg kick,” said Maybin. “Up and down. Maybe too much for me to see the pitch as good as I needed.”

It was not the first time that Cameron had thought about his leg kick. The center fielder and Padres batting coaches Phil Plantier and Alonzo Powell had discussed Maybin’s approach and stance since spring training.

But Maybin has always had a fall-back position that got him out of trouble.

“I am blessed by a tremendous amount of athletic ability,” said Maybin.

That athletic ability had always bailed Maybin out in the past. But when the 25-year-old’s batting average dipped below .200 last week, he decided to study some options.

“I haven’t always used a leg kick,” he said. “I didn’t have it at the start of the season. Then I did. I tried changing things. I went back and forth. But it wasn’t until I was standing in front of that mirror and saw my head bouncing that I really gave it much thought.

”I started thinking about the ways I had changed over the years. In 2007, my stance was spread out. I’ve gone heel up and heel down. When I first got here, I was standing straight up. I’m probably better not moving as much as I was . . . that ‘keep it simple, stupid’ approach.”

Maybin went 4-for-13 with a double and a homer in three games in Arizona and singled in his first at-bat Thursday night. The extra-base hits Monday were Maybin’s first two since he homered back on June 8.

Akerfelds honored

Padres bullpen coach Darrell Akerfelds, who died of pancreatic cancer June 24, was memorialized Thursday night with a video tribute during pregame ceremonies.

Tributes from Padres managers Bud Black and Bruce Bochy as well as current and former Padres players and coach were shown on the video board.

The club announced that the Padres Foundation was donating $48,000 in Akerfelds’ memory to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (pancan.com). Akerfelds wore No. 48.

The club also announced a plaque would be added to the Padres bullpen at Petco Park in Akerfeld’s honor. The team will be wearing “48” patches for the remainder of the season.

Akerfelds, 50, the longest tenured Padres coach, battled pancreatic cancer for 19 months before passing away. Services for Akerfelds will be held Monday in Littleton, Colo.

Padres Notes

--Black said the Padres are undecided about who will start Sunday’s final game before the All-Star break. The options are long reliever Ross Ohlendorf or starter Jason Marquis, who would be working on three days rest for the seventh time in his career.

--Micah Owings isn’t calling it a career change, but the pitcher is getting ready to play first, left and possibly DH for the rest of the season with Triple-A Tucson. Black said Owings might not pitch again this season due to the right forearm strain that has had him on the disabled list since April 26. The 29-year-old Owings is a career .283 hitter in the major leagues with nine homers and 35 RBI in 205 at-bats.

--Right-handed starter Anthony Bass, who has been on the disabled since June 24 with shoulder inflammation, is on a throwing program although no date has been set for a possible return.

--Meanwhile, right-hander Joe Wieland has been shut down a second time in his rehab as soreness returned to his elbow while working from the mound. He was in San Diego to have the injury reviewed. Wieland has been out since May 7.

--Needing a fresh arm in the bullpen, the Padres recalled right-handed reliever Miles Mikolas from Triple-A Tucson and optioned Nick Vincent to the T-Padres. Mikolas was 1-1 with a 3.29 ERA in 13 appearances with the Padres earlier this season. Vincent, a Ramona High product, allowed runs in three of his four outings.